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"Options with God"

If you don't know your options, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your choices open. (James 1:5-8, The Message)

The Right of Choosing

I tend to ask God for something and then when I finish my prayer, I begin to think about whether He's going to take care of it or not. What can I do if He doesn't? Where will I turn?

I'll probably come up with 5 or 6 different choices, none of them any good, because if they would have worked, I'd have done them already, and not even asked God.

We are a people who love choices. "What if" and "how can I fix it." are common thoughts to us. Many of my prayers are probably prayed with that same ending thought-"but what if He doesn't?"

James tells us that as long as we try to hang on to our way, God isn't going to move. He wants us to believe that he will fix it. It might not be the way we want, but it will be the way He wants, and in His time.

I don't know about anyone else, but if it doesn't get fixed right away, ideas start popping into my mind faster than corn can pop. I'm already trying to fix things when I start to pray, and I'm so busy and worried, that I'm not even listening for what God has to say or do.

Do you ever think that perhaps God doesn't answer right away because He wants to see our reaction to our prayers?

If you ask for my help and then go ahead and try to do it your own way, before long, I'll think, "why did you even ask me?" I already know every time you ask, you're still going to try to fix it yourself, and probably make it worse in the process.

I might as well wait till you have completely exhausted yourself and are entirely out of choices before I step in and fix it. You asked me to help, you obviously believed I could, but you couldn't let go of it.

When God steps in, you know its taken care of, that you couldn't fix it. Nothing you could do or think up would work, and He gets all the glory!

When we pray, let's completely surrender our right to options, and allow God to begin immediately, knowing He is more than able to handle what we can't and quit holding Him back. Options are our right to choose. Give up that right, and let God move 

"You can't Live Someone else's Christianity for them"

I have a friend who has been gay since he can remember, and now is over 60 years old. Last year he gave his life to the Lord and what a change God can make. He threw himself entirely into the church. Every meeting, every function, he was there. Because of health and financial problems, he moved in with a Christian relative and her husband and attended church with them.

Knowing his background, this lady decided to become the spiritual police. Every move and phone call was monitored. Instead of living in a loving Christian home, it became a jail cell, with her as warden. She tried to live his Christianity for him, and no one is called to do that. Paul says to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. No one else can do it for us, we have to. 

My friend was so suffocated and dictated to that he had to move out. He was miserable. This lady never did and still doesn't realize what she did. You cannot live someone else’s relationship with God for them. That is strictly between them and God and He doesn't need your help. In fact, I believe He would appreciate it if you would just be you and let Him be God. 

My friend has moved to another state and I hesitate to ask him anything about his relationship with God because I don't want him to think I'm doing what she did. So, I am content with God's Word that says no one can take my friend out of His hand and He that began a good work in his life is faithful to complete it. My friend is working out his own relationship with God and that is the way God wants it. He is able.

Carolyn McDaniel Main Page

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